They were all over Florence the last time my wife and I were in Italy. They're bad enough in isolation, but seeing them right after coming out of the Duomo or in a Piazza, contrasting with the spectacular architecture, they look really chintzy.

Cows in Venice! How awful. Awful in NYC too. But it started in Chicago, where the stockyards are historically important. And cows are relevant to Madison too. Though Ithese public displays are done too much, the original Chicago one, being surprising, was a delight, and the one in Madison now does fit the city rather well. Adults can be snobby about pop art things -- especially when they block sidewalk traffic -- but think of how they make children feel.

It really is cool for them. They were running all over the city yesterday. Some of the cows were right outside the museum: they'll lure some families inside. Some are outside the Capitol, and lots of kids were inside, enjoying the glories of the extravagant marble and the lofty dome. (I heard one father saying to a little girl, "No, the President lives in Washington.")